Wardrobe or folding bed



(No Model.

WARDROBE 0R FOLDING BED.

' Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. W. STEWART.

No. 255,548. Patented Mar. 28,1882

n I Fig.1.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. W. STEWART.

WARDROBE OR FOLDING BED.

No.'255,548. Patented Mar. 28,1882. v

112229653435: .Imven/tor:

N, PETERS. Phukrlill ogmpher. wunm mn. 0. CV

(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet .3.

A. W. STEWART.

WARDROBE 0R FOLDING BED.

Patented Mar. 28,1882.

jmveniorr N. PETERS. FholoLikhographcr. Wafluinglon. D.C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

ALEXANDER YV. STEWART, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WARDROBE OR FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,548, dated. March28, 1882..

T0 allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER W. STEW- ART, residing at Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, and a citizen of the UnitedStates, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wardrobe orFolding Beds, of which the following is a full description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures 1 and 2 arefront and side elevations of the bedstead folded; Fig. 3, a verticalsection of the bedstead folded; Fig. 5, a detail of the device used forstraining the bed-bottom; Figs. 6 and 7, details showing the method ofconnecting the straining devices with the bed bottom, Fig. 7- being amodification; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section of the bed unfolded; Fig.8, a detail of the device for connecting the movable with the fixed orstationary part, and Fig. 9 a view of thenon-adjustable hooks detached.Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 9 are enlarged; Fig. 10, an end view of the devicesdrawn in Fig. 5.

,The object of my invention is to improve the construction and operationof that class of folding beds of the form commonly known as cabinet-bedsand its nature consists in the improved means for connecting theswinging with the fixed parts, and in the several parts and combinationsof parts hereinafter described and claimed as new.

In the drawings, A indicates the fixed or stationary part; B, the firstor front section of the folding part; C, the second or rear section ofthe folding part, the terms front and rear referring to the sectionswhen folded; D, the hinged top or cover; E, the wire bottom or fabric;F, the middle leg; G, the end leg; H, the hinge; a, groove in the fixedframe for permitting motion or'travel of the pind; 1), pin or pivot onthe part A; c,

the plate or bar connecting the pins 1) and (Z,- (Z, the pin or pivot inthe part B; ef, stops; g, compressed or flattened ends of the wirefabric E; h h, straps or plates for fastening the ends of the wires ofthe fabric E; 17, rivets; 9', bolt or rod extending through the fabric Eand resting against the compressed portion; It It, retaining-hookscomposed of rigid or inelastic bars or rods of metal or similarmaterial, so that they will not yield in the di- Application filedSeptember 5, 1881. (No model.)

rection of their length; I, screw'hooks or eye bolts for straining thefabr1c;'m, strainingnuts; a, cover-hinges; 0, projection on frame A forlocking the folding parts back by the cover D unfolded.- H

The stationary part of the bedstead may be made in the form shown, orany other suitable form, as may be desired. The other devices, B C, aremade as shown, and are connected together by the hinge H. The front ofthe part B is faced with panel-work or other suitable covering, and maybe made plain or ornamental, as desired. The part C is somewhat shorterthan the part B, and is composed of two sides and an end board. It maybe backed, if desired; but this is not necessary, a single cross-boardbeing sufficient to keep it in form.

The part B is provided with the legs F, which can be folded out of theway; but the part C is turned over onto the part B, as shown in Fig. 3,and the legs G are folded in the ordinary manner.

It preferred, the legs F may be made sliplegs, so as to be taken out orremoved for the purpose of folding. Owing to the weight of this class ofbedsteads and the bedding,it has been found quite difficult to fold andlift them into position. To overcome this difficulty to a large extent,I have connected the stationary and swinging parts together by the link0 and pins or pivots b d. In order to apply the link, I cut a groove, 0,in the stationary parts, as shown by dotted lines and in section atFig.8, in which the pin d travels.

The side rails of the part B are provided with the stops 0, and thesides of the section A with the pin or stopf, the link 0 being pivotedto the part A by the pin 1), and to the part B by the pin 0?. In liftingthe swingingparts they turn on the pin or stopfas a pivot until the pind reaches the upper extremity of the pin 01, from which point thefurther turning is upon the pin 1). The link 0 extends to the rearwardof the pin 1) sufficiently far to have the pin or stop a strike againstit. The pin 0 strikes against the rearward extension of the link 0 whenthe part B stands at an incline of about forty-five degrees, and therebyholds the pin 1), so as to lift the swinging parts up and keep them fromcoming in contact with the floor in turning.

As the lifting does not commence until the weight is lifted and ready tobe pushed into place, and by this arrangement the weight is so nearlycounterbalanced that the folding parts are easily lifted and pushed intotheir vertical position to complete the folding, the

cover D is pivoted or hinged to the rear edge of the section 0, asshown, so as to be in the position shown in Fig. 4 when the bed isunfolded, and as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 when folded.

As shown, the hinge a is projected upward, so as to give the cover atthat point an eccentrio movement. The same movement may be obtained byextending the hinges backward. As the bedstead is pushed into positionthe front edge of the cover is lifted, so as to pass under theprojection 0. When it is dropped the rear edge of the lid D comes incontact with this projection, and as the pivot b is in front of the backor head piece carrying the projection o,this arrangement of the lidforms a lock or stop to hold the parts firmly in position when folded,so that in order to unfold the'bed it will be necessary to first liftthe front edge of the lid, so as to clear the rear edge from theprojection 0. j

The projection 0 may be made of a piece of molding of the form shown, ormay be made of one or more simple projecting stops.

As shown the principal portion of the back of the case, which forms thehead-board when unfolded, is left open; but I prefer to fill itwith rodsor lattice-work for ventilation when the bedstead is folded, but it maybe filled with panel-work, if desired.

As thus far described I do not limit my improvements to the kind or formof bed-bottom used; but I have adapted it to the use of wire mattressesor bed-bottoms, and to do this I take a mattress of the coil or spiralform and flatten the ends by compression, as shown at g in Fig. 6, and Iconfine the ends by the strips h h, riveted together by the rivets i, togive the mattress a perfect binding at the ends.

, Immediately back of the compressed portions I run through a smallrod,j. By means of these rodsj, I attach the retaining-hooks k 7c, whichare composed ofrigid or inelastic bars or rods of metal or other similarmaterial, so that they will not yield in the direction of their length,whereby when the mattress is unfolded and in a horizontal position therewill be present a substantially rigid connection be. tween the ends ofthe mattress and the head and foot boards of the folding sections, suchseries of rigid hooks also serving to support the bed-clothing andmattress when the latter is in an unfolded position. The retaininghooksk are pivoted to the foot-board, as shown, and they may be fastened tothe footboard by running a rod through their eyes, and the binding-headfor this purpose may be covered by a piece of molding or otherwise. Atthe opposite end I pivot the hooks k to the rodsj and connect the hookswith the eyewhen the bed is folded and the strain released.

By this arrangementofthehooks androdsj,Iobtain an advantage in additionto that ofsuspending the wire fabric, for when the bedstead isfolded,with the mattress and clothing inclosed,

the hooks 70 70 turn or drop, as shown in Fig.

3, to give sufficientroom for the clothing, and when the foldingsections are open and the mattress is in a horizontal position therewill be a substantial and rigid connection between the ends of themattress and the head and foot boards of the folding sections, whichrigid connection is composed of the series of rigid hooks beforementioned. These hooks being arranged in a series transverselyacrossthebed, and being rigid, as stated,will also support thebed-clothing at these points when the bed is in use.

In order to prevent undue weight of the pivots I; don the wood, they maybe bushed or provided with metal collars or sockets, and the groove mayalso be metal lined.

Instead of running the rod j entirely across the mattress IE, it may bemade in short sec tions and the ends turned after it is inserted, asshown at Fig. 7, so as to have a short crossseetion in each hook k. Thenumber of hooks 70 will depend somewhat upon the size of the hooks used.Ordinarily about twelve at each end will be sufficient.

I do not claim the devices and means herein shown and described forconnecting the wire fabric with the frame, and for straining saidfabric, as such features will constitute the subject-matter of aseparateapplication for Letters Patent.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is asfollows:

1.-In a folding bed, the combination, with the stationary partA,provided with the groove to and stop f, of the swinging part B and thelink 0, pivoted at or near one end to the part Aby a fixed pivot, 12,and having at its other end a pivot, 67, arranged to travel in thegroove a, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. In a folding bed, the combination, with the stationary part A,provided with the curved groove a and stopf, of the swinging part B,having the stop 0 and the link a, pivoted near one end to the part A bya fixed pivot, 11, to form a rearward extension to said link, and havingat its other end a pivot, d, arranged to travel in the groove a, saidstop 0 on the part B being adapted to strike the extension of the saidlink, all substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

3. The top or cover D, having eccentric other end with the head andfootboards, rehinges n, withthestop or projectlonofor formspectively, ofthe folding sections, substan- [0 in g a lock, substantially as setforth. tially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set 4. In combinationwith the folding sections forth. 5 B and O and an elastic or springmattress, E, ALEXANDER W. STEWART.

a series of rigid hooks, 7c is, arranged at each Witnesses: end of themattress,and havinga pivotal con- L. L. BOND, nection at one end withsnchmattress and at the B. A. PRICE.

